STARFIGHTERS AND
PATROL BOATS
Starfighters and patrol boats are the smallest hyperspace-
capable starships found in the galaxy. These tiny, powerful
ships have faithfully served galactic governments, plan-
etary defense forces, pirate clans, and even Jedi for millen-
nia. While they share some overlapping missions, starfight-
ers and patrol boats are generally quite different in their
construction, load-out, and usage.
Starfighters are small, short-range, one- or two-person
spacecraft used by military and paramilitary forces as
force projection and escort craft. Powered by small re-
actors with multiple ion engines and backup repulsorlift
engines for atmospheric work, they are quite fast and ag-
ile, typically lightly armored, carry minimal shields, and
have limited or no hyperspace capabilities. Depending on
their role (space superiority, interception/pursuit, bomb-
ing/anti-capital ship, etc.), starfighters are armed with a
diverse mix of weapons. Due to their small size, and short
range starfighters are typically deployed from planetary
airbases or carried into battle by larger, sturdier ships
Patrol boats are larger and sturdier vessels. Typically
between a starfighter and a light freighter in size, patrol
boats are designed for intra-system patrols, interdiction,
law and customs enforcement, and long-range recon-
naissance. They typically carry a crew of between two
and six and are equipped with hyperdrives, navicom-
puters, and, on some models, sophisticated communi-
cations and sensor suites. While patrol boats are usually
slightly slower than starfighters, they are more heavily
armed, shielded, and armored.
Below are a selection of starfighters and patrol
boats commonly found operating in the Outer Rim.
CLOAKSHAPE FIGHTER
The KSE CloakShape is an aerospace fighter first built
by the now-defunct Kuat Systems Engineering in the
decades leading up to the Clone Wars. With their
relatively aerodynamic, lifting body fu-
selages, CloakShapes were
designed as aero-
space superiority
fighters with an emphasis on atmospheric and near-or-
bital combat. They are powered by a pair of KSE 807b/9
afterburning ion engines backed up by a light repulsor-
lift, a setup that gives the fighter respectable speed but
marginal agility. They have no hyperdrive and carry no
shields; to compensate, CloakShape fighters have rein-
forced, heavily armored hulls, which makes them incred-
ibly durable. Despite their lackluster performance, short
range, and limited scope, CloakShape fighters have sol-
diered on for decades now thanks to two important fea-
tures: they are inexpensive and are easily customizable.
It's often said that there's no such thing as a stock Cloak-
Shape fighter. The fighter's simple design, modular compo-
nents, and plethora of universal power and computer cou-
plings make these ships prime candidates for modification.
Over the decades, numerous aftermarket systems have
been designed and sold for the CloakShape, and their ease
of installation and use has allowed these fighters to com-
pete against modern starfighters with some success. The
most common are upgraded powerplants, hyperdrives
and navicomputers, shield generators, heavier weapons,
and more sophisticated communications and sensor sys-
tems. This makes the nominally obsolete starfighter an at-
tractive option to budget-minded individuals.
Hull Type/Class: Starfighter/CloakShape.
Manufacturer: Kuat Systems Engineering.
Hyperdrive: None.
Navicomputer: None.
Sensor Range: Close.
Ship's Complement: One pilot.
Encumbrance Capacity: 1 2.
Passenger Capacity: 0.
Consumables: One day.
Cost/Rarity: 38,000 credits/4.
Customization Hard Points: 3.
Weapons: Forward Mounted Light Laser Cannons
(Fire Arc Forward; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range [Close];
Linked 1), Forward Mounted Concussion Missile
Launchers (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 6; Critical 3;
Range [Short]; Breach 4, Blast 4, Guided 3, Linked 1,
Limited Ammo 6, Slow-Firing 1).
CUSTOMIZATIONS
Curich Engineering Stabilizer Conversion Kit: Pro-
duced by Curich Engineering, a subsidiary of Santhe/
Sienar Technologies, this bolt-on wing and stabilizer kit was
designed specifically for the CloakShape fighter to address
a number of its handling shortcomings. So ubiquitous is
this modification that most people familiar with the little
fighter believe it to be original to the CloakShape's design.
It consists of a bolt-on wing and stabilizer assembly that at-
taches to the aft of the fighter over the engines, along with
a number of tweaks to the ship's engine, thruster, and rud-